Rigby Double Rifle

[grand veneur]

I have a story about failure of old primers.

25 years ago, while I was on an elephant hunt, the PH tell me that a client, an older British hunter with his old double rifle and the old ammunition for it, also hunt elephants with him. When the time came, only the fourth cartridge ignited and killed the elephant. Unfortunately, you don't always have the time for something like that.

 

[brian.perlis]

This thread has absolutely nothing to do with me and im still excited to read every post. What a great find and a fun thread. I'm genuinely excited for Nick and what he has.

 

[Pondoro]

I have a story about failure of old primers.

25 years ago, while I was on an elephant hunt, the PH tell me that a client, an older British hunter with his old double rifle and the old ammunition for it, also hunt elephants with him. When the time came, only the fourth cartridge ignited and killed the elephant. Unfortunately, you don't always have the time for something like that.

Yes..I read a story of two hunters, father and son, who hunted elephant in Zimbabwe.. Both had vintage .475 no.2 double rifles and they used 50 year old Kynoch ammo...such folly.. But boy had they luck..the son took a 90 pounder..!

I would never hunt with that old Kynoch I mentioned....nice on the shooting range though..

You may be right..perhaps Kynoch loaded with Neonite..it is a fast burning ballistite..on par with cordite. Even faster neonite was used in british handguns.. That would ensure Pmax right after the chambers just like cordite.. Some double rifles had to be regulated for the new propellant, others not. I do not think mine was re-regulated though but cant be sure..

If you look at this table you see that Neonite 12 - Nobel is close to Vihtavuori N140/150. I use 90 grains of N150 with 500 grainers in my .470 Krieghoff with good results..no filler. N150 is very close to Reloader 15, a powder Federal used in its .470 ammunition earlier..

https://www.gswagner.com/bigreloading/components/powderburnrate.html

 

[PARA45]

@rookhawk, you are a wealth of knowledge. Thank you for sharing with us some of your knowledge of doubles. Not that I will ever own a double, but I am enjoying learning from posts like this one. Thank you!

 

[yhc]

Regarding the book in question I read here on the forum yesterday that a 4th edition would soon be available.

Yes, Buffalo Arms anticipates the 4th edition will become available in about 3 months. You can call them and place it on a backorder now for $65.

 

[Nick1982]

Thanks for the reply's.

Enclosed some more foto's.

Does anyone have an idea about the number stamps on the stock?

 

[rookhawk]

The book is primarily a manual for reloaders and shooters of old double rifles, Britisch made but not only. This shooters are in many cases dependent on reloading in order to find an accurate load for their rifle. The factory loads do try to copy the old original loads, but this is very theoretical. The burning process in the chamber and the barrels is no longer the same. Cordite was a very fast burning powder. Hunting is only mentioned in passing. If you use a current built double rifle and shoot factory loads in it, you also don't need the book.

I’ve had a few modern double rifles. If it’s ten years old, you need to hand load too. If you can use faster powders, you can reduce the recoil dramatically.

Other than brand new and with a lifetime supply of new ammo made to shoot in the gun, you’re going to have to build hand loads.

 

[grand veneur]

I’ve had a few modern double rifles. If it’s ten years old, you need to hand load too. If you can use faster powders, you can reduce the recoil dramatically.

Other than brand new and with a lifetime supply of new ammo made to shoot in the gun, you’re going to have to build hand loads.

I think that the majority of double rifle owners do not reload their cartridges, but I don't know how that work in practice, especially for the owners of used rifles. The best solution is certainly to have a lifetime supply of the ammunition with which the weapon was regulated, but a problem remain by old rifles.

As far as recoil is concerned, I did not notice on my two big bore double rifles too much of a difference between the cartridges loaded with fast burning and those loaded with slow burning powder. I also tend to use fast burning powders, despite the need for fillers, but the controversial discussions have always given me cause to think about.